Shirt and chest protector



(No Model.)

R. P. WOODWARD. SHIRT AND CHEST PROTEGTOR. No. 476,503. Patented June 7, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT TITCHER W'OODTVARD, OF BROQKLYN, NEHV YORK.

SHIRT AND CHEST PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,503, dated June *7, 1892.

Application filed Au ust 5, 1891. Serial No. 401,738. (No model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PITCHER Wool)- of light and yielding material secured to the inner face of the sheet, so as to form air-cir- WARD,a citizen of the United States, residing culating spaces or channels between the 55 at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State strips, whereby a free circulation of air is perof New York, have invented certain new and mitted in and about the article, between the useful Improvement-sin Shirt and Chest Probody of the wearer and the shirt or underteetors; andI do hereby declare the following clothing in contact with the protector, so as to to be a full, clear, and exact description of adapt the article to serve the double purpose 6o theinventiomsiich as will enable othersskilled of protecting the lungs and keeping the shirt- [0 in the art to which it appertains to make and bosom or underclothing dry.

use the same. The invention consists, further, in certain My invention relates to improvements in improved features of construction, all as will chest and shirt protectors adapted to be worn be hereinafter described, and particularly 6 under the shirt at the front or back of the pointed out in the claims at the end of this person in the usual manner, so as to protect description.

the chest and lungs from cold; and the 0b- Referring to the drawings,'in which likelet- 'ject of the invention is to provide an article ters of reference are used to designate like of this character which is adapted to serve parts of the article, Figure 1 represents a 70 both as a protector for the chest and lungs and as a protector or shield for the bosom of the shirt or chemisette, so as to prevent the latter from being soiled and wrinkled by front view of theshield or protector having portions of the outer piece or ply of the article torn off, so as to show the interior construction; and Fig. 2 is asectional view taken absorbing the perspiration of the'body. on a line which passes longitudinally through 75 Chest-protectors of the usual construction the article from top to bottom thereof. are subject to objection in use on account of A designates the shield or protector, which the fact that they soon become dampened or may consist of one or more pieces or plies a wet by the perspiration of the body, and are a of cloth, paper, gauze, or any other suitthus rendered uncomfortable to the wearer, able thin,light, and flexible material, to which 80 i and being in contact with the shirt 'or chernimay be attached strips or pieces B of felt, sette the latter absorbs the moisture and soon cork, paper, or any suitable light and flexii becomes soiled and wrinkled, particularly in ble or elastic material, so as to provide air i warm weather or under conditions which prospaces or channels A between said strips for duce free perspiration. the purpose of permitting the air to circu- 85 The object of my invention is to overcome late in and about the protector between the these objections and at the same time to proshirt and the undergarment or body of the vide a cheap, light, effective, and durable wearer. chest-protector, which shall also serve to keep The protector preferably consists of apiece the shirt and nnderclothing dry, and thus preof cloth or fabric having suitable strips of 0 vent the latter from sticking to the skin, as is felt or cork secured to the inner side thereof, usual in warm weatheror at other times when these strips preferably running transversely the wearer of such protectors perspires freely. of the article and being arranged at suitable In the accompanying drawings I have illusdistances apart to provide channels or spaces trated one form of protector embodying my A between them, extending from side to side 95 invention; but it will be understood, of course, of the protector, and when two or more pieces that the size and shape of the article and the or plies of material are used, as shown, the material used in manufacturing the samemay edges of the fabric are not stitched or sewed be varied at pleasure to adapt the same to diftogether, but are left free, so as to be held ferent uses and to suit the taste of different apart and supported in this position by the I00 yielding strips, whereby the ends of the channels or air-spaces are kept open to permitthe air to enter and circulate freely through the same. To facilitate the circulation of the air in and about the article the cloth or fabric may be perforated, as indicated at (J, and when two or more plies are used either or both plies may be perforated. This construction permits a free circulation of the air in and about the article, and as the confined air is tempered by the heat of the body it will tend to keep the underclothing dry, and at the same time will impart a comfortable and cooling effect to the wearer in awarm atmosphere. The strips or bits of felt, cork, or other similar soft and yielding material also give sufficient rigidity to the article and prevent the shirt-bosom or chemisette from coming in contact with the moisture of the body or undergarment, thereby preventing the latter from becoming wrinkled and soiled.

The device thus serves the double purpose of shielding the shirt from moisture and protecting the chest and lungs in a healthful, effective, and comfortable manne".

In using the article it may be worn suspended about the neck by a band, as at D, or it may be secured and supported in position in any suitable and well-known manner. An elastic or other suitable strap f, with clasp F, maybe attached to the lower extremity of the article and secured to the undergarment, or the article may be suspended at the frontor back of the body and secured in place by a belt or girdle passing around the waist. If desired, a duplex protector maybe provided, so as to protect both the chest and back of the body, by making a pair of protectors which may be connected and suspended by straps resting upon the shoulders, and any suitable means may be employed for adjusting and securing the protectors in position at the front or back.

It will be understood, of course, that I do not limit myself to the use of any particular kind of material for making the article, so that it is sufficiently light and flexible for the purpose, nor to one or two plies or pieces for the main body of the protector, and the term light and flexible material, as herein employed, comprehends any suitable material for the purpose, though I preferably use felt or cork for the strips. It-will also be readily understood that the strips 13 may consist of short pieces or bits of any suitable light and flexible material arranged transversely or longitudinally or in any desired manner adapted to provide the open-ended channels or spaces for the circulation of the air.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A shirt and chest protector comprising a sheet of flexible materiahwith strips of light and yielding material secured to the inner face of the sheet, so as to form air-circulating spaces or channels between the strips, substantially as described.

2. A shirt and chest protector comprising a sheet of flexible material, with strips of light and yielding material secured to the inner face of the sheet and extending transversely thereof at intervals, so as to form intervening air-circulating spaces or channels, substanf tially as described.

3. A shirt and chest protector comprising two or more plies of flexible material, with strips of light and yielding material secured thereto at intervals between the plies, so as to form air-circulating spaces or channels, the edges of the plies being free between the strips, so as to leave the ends of the air-circulating spaces or channels open, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT PITOIIER WOODWARD. Witnesses:

JAMES R. PITCHER, E. S. FOWLER. 

